The District of Columbia has taken the Trump administration to court over what city officials call an unlawful and unprecedented federal power grab — the president’s attempt to wrest control of the Metropolitan Police Department (MPD) from local leaders.

Attorney General Brian L. Schwalb’s lawsuit, filed in U.S. District Court, directly challenges President Donald Trump’s Aug. 11 executive order and U.S. Attorney General Pam Bondi’s Aug. 14 directive, which invoke a never-before-used section of the 1973 Home Rule Act. The administration claims the provision allows federal command of MPD, but the city says the law is clear — the president can only request the police department’s help temporarily, in an emergency, and strictly for federal purposes.

“By declaring a hostile takeover of MPD,

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